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Author Archives: Jimmie Jones

Jimmie is a retired school teacher from Texas, who has been going to Disney World for 25 years. He has experience in taking large groups to Disney, in addition to taking his own children and grandchildren. Jimmie and his wife Rhonda make annual trips to Disney World, Disneyland, and sail on the Disney Cruise Line.

Top 10 Tips from an Experienced Disney World-goer

4) Travel agent If this is your first trip or your first in a long time, consider using a Disney-certified travel agent. In most cases, the agents are paid by Disney, not you. Agents are experienced Disney travelers and will assist you in all phases of your trip planning. Plus, they are on top of all possible discounts that can ...

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Top 10 Tips from an Experienced Disney World-goer

Magic Kingdom Parade

5) Understand the calendar Disney World is extremely popular and crowded much of the year. Basically, if school is out, the parks are crowded. Don’t let that scare you off! Disney is great at handling crowds. However, the times of the year with the lowest crowds include January (after marathon weekend), February (except for President’s Day weekend), May, September and ...

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Top 10 Tips from an Experienced Disney World-goer

Tomorrowland

6) How long to stay? Recently, a colleague asked me about planning a trip to Disney World for his family. “Three or four days should be enough, right?” he asked me. I tried to be sensitive to any budget issues they might have, but I told him that would require some tough choices. Here’s my advice when considering your length ...

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Top 10 Tips from an Experienced Disney World-goer

Food and Wine Festival

7) Special events Throughout the year, Disney schedules additional events that are fun for the whole family. These include: Marathon Weekend in January, the Flower and Garden Festival in the spring, Mickey’s Not So Scary Halloween Party and the Food and Wine Festival in the fall and Mickey’s Very Merry Christmas Party at Christmas time. Consider adding these events to ...

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Top 10 Tips from an Experienced Disney World-goer

Festival Of Fantasy Parade

8) Parades and Fireworks Most every night, one or more of the Disney parks offers a parade and/or fireworks or nighttime spectacular. Don’t miss Wishes at the Magic Kingdom, Illuminations at Epcot, Fantasmic at the Disney Studios and others. These are likely to be the highlight of your trip!

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Top 10 Tips from an Experienced Disney World-goer

My Disney Experience - Your Personal Planner For Your Disney Itinerary

9) My Disney Experience Once you’ve booked your trip, set up a personal account at www.mydisneyexperience.com. Here you can view all your reservations, book dining reservations, make fastpasses and more. It’s a “one stop shop” for all your vacation plans!

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Top 10 Tips from an Experienced Disney World-goer

Disney World Photo Pass

10) Photopass Wouldn’t you like to return home with dozens (maybe hundreds!) of pictures from your vacation, all of them taken by a professional Disney photographer? You can if you purchase Disney’s Memory Maker or Photopass service. Photographers are stationed throughout the four theme parks to take your family’s picture in front of icons like Cinderella Castle, Spaceship Earth and ...

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How My Family Saves Hundred$ at Disney World

Castle and Hundreds

When you think of Walt Disney World in Florida, one of the things that come to mind is “expensive”. There is no doubt that a Disney vacation can be expensive. As a Disney apologist, I would counter with the fact that you get an exceptional product accompanied by exceptional service. Nevertheless, for most families, finding ways to save money on ...

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15 Things I Wish I Had Known Before Visiting Disney World

Walt Disney World

Let’s Recap! 1. Weather – prepare yourself for how hot FL can be!  Also, it rains most every day and the winters can be downright cold! 2. Crowds – 20 million people visit Disney every year.  Arriving to the parks just before opening can help you gain access to more rides with shorter lines. 3. Get in shape – Be ...

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15 Things I Wish I Had Known Before Visiting Disney World

Disney PhotoPass

13. Disney’s Photopass Wouldn’t it be nice if the whole family could be in your vacation pictures?  But who’s going to actually take the pictures?  Disney will!  Take advantage of Disney’s Photopass service.  Photographers are stationed all over the parks and will take your pictures for free, including ride photos.  You can pre-purchase all your pictures or purchase any you ...

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